Railway brake beam



Dec. -1 6,' 1 924.

S. A. CRONE v RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM Filed Feb. 12, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR J1. ATTORNEY Dec. 16, 1924.

5.41. CRONE RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 12, 1924 INVENTCRY TTQRN Patented Dec. 16, 1924..

QFFICE.

SETH A. SHONE. OF EAST ORAIQGE, NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY BEAM.

Application filed February 12, 1924.

T 0 all whom 1'25 may concern:

Be it known that T, Sntrir A. CnoNn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Hersey, have invented certain new and useful Imp'rovements in Railway Brake Beams, of which the following is a specification.

The invention pertains to trussed brake beams and particularly to a four-point suspension therefor employing inclined tram way bars extending outwardly from the spring plank or channel of tl e car truck to support and guide the truss rods during the movements of the beams to carry the brakeshoes toward and from the car-wheels.

Four-point suspension tramway-bars for guiding a brake-beam and assuring the proper application of the brake-shoes to and their release from the wheels are well known, and one example of such bars is shown in Letters Patent No. 1,475,1380, granted to me on November 27, 1923.

My present invention pertains to novel means for detachably clamping the suspension tramway bars to the spring plank or truck-channel. and also to the combination therewith of certain safety guard or linkbars which extend outwardly therefrom above the end portions of the brake beam and the tramway bars below the same and are detachably connected with the outer ends of said bars, said safety guard bars serving in the event of accident to the usual brake-hangers, to prevent the brake-shoes from being carried unduly upward by the car wheels on a service application of the brakes.

The clamping means employed by me for securing the tramway suspension bars to the spring plank comprise, at each end of said plank, two hangers hooked over the opposite upper edges of the plank and extend ing suitably below the plank and two jointed toggle lever arms pivotally secured their outer ends, whereon are formed eccentrics. to the lower ends of said hangers and adapted when pressed upwardly at their jointed inner ends to cause said eccentrics to firmly bind or clamp the tramway bars against the lower surface of the spring plank, the force created by said eccentrics also exerting a downward pull on the hangers to effect a secure engagement of the up- Serial No. 692,294.

per ends of the same with the upper opposite edges of the spring plank. WVhen the jointed inner ends of the toggle arms are pressed upwardly to bind the eccentrics against the tramway bars, said ends pass beyond the center line of the pivots at the outer ends of said arms and thereby the toggle arms become locked in their operative position. The details of said hangers and said toggle arms and of the formation of the tramway bars at said eccentrics will be described hereinafter. The safety guard bars or links are articulated at their inner ends to the aforesaid hangers and at their outer ends to the outer ends of the tramway bars and said guard bars yield with the tramway bars.

My invention is applicable to four-point suspension tramway-bars of various known types and hence is not limited to the specific tramway bars shown in my aforesaid Letters Patent and in connection with which, by way of illustration, I present my invention herein.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top view of a portion of a cartruck equipped with four-point suspension features embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same taken on the dotted line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the double suspension spring tramway bars;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 5 is a detached plan View of one of the safety guard link-bars which extend from stationary means, above the end portions of the brake-beam and the tramway bars and are detachably connected with. the outer ends of said tramway bars;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the toggle eccentric clamping arms, being the left hand one of said arms looking at Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the other toggle eccentric clamping arm, being the righthand one looking at Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 1s a s1de view of the same;

Fig. 11 is an end view of the same, taken from the right hand end of'Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a side view of one of the hangers suspended from the upper edges of the spring plank or channel and to whose upper ends the inner ends of the safety guard link-bars are hinged, while to whose lower ends the outer eccentric ends of the toggle clamping arms are pivota-lly secured, and

Fig. 13 is a face view of the same, taken from the right hand side of Fi 12.

In the drawings designates a portion of a customary spring-plank or channel constituting. a portion of a car-truck frame, and 11 indicates a portion of a usual type of trussed brake-beam the parts of the beam rep-resented being the compression member 12 and tension member or truss rod 13 1 illustrate the mechanism of my invention asappliedto one end portion of the spring plank 10. and it willbe understood that a duplicate set of this mechanism will be applied to the other end portion of said spring pum accordingto usual practice with respect to inside hung brakes. I The tramway suspension bar 1 1 may he of double type, as shown that is the formation of two upwardly and outwardly inclined tramway members 15, 16 respectively from a single bar of steel, whose middle portion 17 is flat and clamped against the bottom of the spring plank 10. In the present instance the outer end portions of the tramway members15, 16 are shown as upwardly convexed to receive the adjacent: portions of the truss rods, as described in my aforesaid Letters Patent, but this particular formation of said members is not essential to my present invention. r

The flat middle portion 17 of the bar 14- extends substantially the full width of and engages throughout its length the flat bottom surface of the spring plank 10, and said bar 14 at the ends of said fiat portion'l'? is convexly curved outwardly, as at 18. and then downwardly, as at 19, and thence the end portions of the bar incline upwardly and outwardly to form the members 15, 16. The curvatures 18 form bearing surfaces for eccentrics 2O hereinafter described. The tramwaybars may be applied to either or both sides of the spring plank and. when employed at both sides of the spring plank the tramway members 15. 16 may be conreniently formed from a single steel bar. The members 15, 16 may however be formed from. separate bars. and in that event the i .er-e n ds of said bars willbe overlapped and app-lied to the spring plank and clamped thereto by the means "constituting the present invention example of independent t1 ba rs whosefinner ends overlap and are bound to the spring plank. in my pending application for Letters Patent fi ed. F my 11 192 1 S ia .N k 9. 8 The advantageof aving fthe a way in two separate "1 es itineraries bar'inay be adjusted longitudinally to meet conditions that may exist in the trucks especially old trucks, to which the bars are applied For The hangers 23, 2 1 are alike in construction and each comprises a vertical plate or body portion containing 1n its lower part a commodious openlng 126 (Fig. 8) of somewhat greater width than the tramway bar 1411 and having at opposite sides of said opening the depending arms 27 on whose lower ends are formed hinge-knuckles which lie off from the vertical plane of said arms (Fig. At their upper ends. each hanger has at its upper edge two corresponding books 29 and. between said hooks. an upwardly extending central arm 30 on whose upper endis formed a hinge-knuckle 31 which is offset or lies off from the vertical plane of the body of the hanger. as shown in Fig. 12. The knuckle 31 projects from one side of the hanger and the knuckles 28 project from the opposite side of the hanger and are below the hooks v The hangers 23, 24: are by means of the hooks 29, hung upon the opposite upper outer edges of thespring plank 10. as shown in Fig. 2. and hence in assembling the parts of the mechanism. the hangers will have theirsides carrying the hooks 29. faced toward each other. and this will leave the knuckles 31 at the upper ends of thehanuers projecting outwardly in opposite directions and the knuckles 28 at the lower ends of the hangm's projecting inwardly toward mach other.

The toggle arm 25 (Figs. 7 and 8) has an upper web portion 32 and side flanges and at its outer end said arm is formed with the upwardly projecting curved eccentric 20. At the inner end of the arm 25 the web 32 is recessed to form two corre sponding knuckle arms which. have t parallel outer faces and are transversely apertured. at 35. to receivea pivot pin or p-intle 36. The sides of the arm 25 diverge outwardly from the arms 34; to form an arm of adequate stren th and width and an eccentric of a width sultistantially equal. to that of theflat portion 1'? of the tramway bar 14 (l i'g. 7). The outer end of the arm is transversely apertured. at 36 below the eccentric to receiv theri vet 37. The outer end of'the arm 25 freely fits Him between the lower portions of the arms 27 on the hanger 3, with its apertures 36 in line with the openings in the knuckles 28 thereof, and said arm is hingedly connected with said hanger by means of the aforesaid rivet 3'? which passes through said apertures and knuckles and is headed on its outer ends Figs. 1 and 2).

The toggle arm 26 (Figs. 9. 10. 11) has an. upper web portion 38 and side flanges 39 and at its outer end said arm is formed with the upwardly projecting curved eccentric 20. At the inner end of the arm 26 the web 38 is recessed to form two parallel arms 40 which are transversely apertured, at 11, and receive between them the arm 34; on toggle member 25, with the apertures thereof in line with the apertures 41 in said arms The pin 36 hereinbefore referred to, extends through the apertures 35, 4-1 and hinges the toggle arms 25, 26 together, and preferably said pin is held in place by cotter-pins 42 so as to be removable, thereby allowing the separation of the arms 25, 26. T he sides of the arm 26 diverge outwardly from the arms l0 to form an arm 26 of acequate strength and width and an eccentric 20 thereon or? a width substantially equal to that of the flat portion 17 of the trainway bar 141-. The outer end of the arm 26 is transversely apertured, at 42, below the eccentric 20 and freely fits between the lower portion of the arms 27 on the hanger 2- with the apertures 42 in line wit-h the openings in the knuckles 28 of said arms. and said arn'i is hingcdly connected with said hanger by means ot a rivet 4-3 which passes through said knuckles and apertures and is headed on its ends (Figs. 1 and 2).

The safety guard bars or links are nuiuhered 44;, and said bars are at their inner ends recessed to straddle the knuckles ll on the upper extremities of the hangers 2 24- and formed with knuckles 415 having' openings aligning with the openings in the knuckles 31. to receive pivot pins 46 by .vhich said bars are hingedly connected with said hangers. The pins to are held in place by cotter keys 4?, thus rendering the bars detachable from and conveniently attachable to the hangers.

The safety bars 44 extend outwardly ti-om the hangers 23, 24% on substantially horizontal lines above the brake beams and trainway bar members 15, 16 respectively. as shown in Fig. and at their outer ends turn downwardly, as at 48, to the outer ends of said members 15, 16 to which. they are detachably and yieldingly articulated or connected. In the present instance I connect the outer ends of the safety bars with the outer ends of the tramway members 15, 16 by means of outwardly deflected fingers or tongues 4-9 formed on the safety bars entered within the openings 21 formed in the outer ends of the tramway members 15, 16, as shown in Fig. 2. The tongues 149 are inserted into the openings 21 when the bars i i. are tree of the hangers .13, 2t and held in a substantially vertical position, and theretter the bars 14 are turned to their horizontal position and engaged with the hangers by means of the pins to. The bars 44 are detachable from the hangers on the withdrawal of the pins a l? and may then be turned upwardly to retract the tongues 19 from the openings 21 in the tramway members 15, 16.

in assembling the mechanism hereinbetore described with the tramway bar 1 1 and spring plank 10, the hangers 23, 2%, with the bars t jldetached, the pin 86 omitted and the toggle arms 26 hanging downwardly on the rivets 37, 43 respectively are hung upon the opposite flanges oil? the spring plank in the position shown in. Fig. 2, and thereupon the tramway bar 141- is passed through the opcnii; I 126 in the hangers and above the eccent. ic ends of the toggle arms and positioned with its ii at middle portion 17 against the bottom of the spring plank, after which the tree ends ot the toggle arms are swung toward each other and brought together and when said ends are slightly below a center line through the rivets 37, 43 the pin 36 is applied to said ends, and thereupon said ends of said toggle arms are forced upwardly above said center line to the position shown in Fig. :2, this causing the meeting ends of the arms to press against the center of the tram way bar and the eccentrics 20 to engage said bar at the ends of the flat portion 1'? thereof and at the seats formed by the curvatures 18 in said bar and firmly clamp said bar against the spring plank. The torce exerted by the eccentrics also acts to pull downwardly on the hangers 23, 241- and to rigidly secure the hangers in their position on the spring plank. If desired, in lieu of first positioning the hangers 23, 2% on the spring plank and then slipping the tramway bar 14 through the openings 126 therein, the tramway bar may first be positioned against the spring plank and the hangers 23, 24L slid, at the openings 1.26, over the outer ends of said bar and to the opposite sides oi? the spring plank, upon which they will then be hung. and thereafter the toggle arn'is will be corinected together and closed to their operative position, as hereinbetore described.

'lhc hangers and toggle arms afford very efficient means for securing the tramway bars to the spring plank, and it is to be noted that neither the spring plank nor the tramway bar has rivet or bolt holes formed therein as aids to securing the tramway bar.

The eccentrics 20 when in operative position project outwardly slightly beyond the vertical. planes of the adjacent sides of the spring plank and thereby afford adequate supports for the inner ends of the tramway members 15, 1'6 and provide rounded surfaces on which said members may press when having their yielding movements. The engagement of the eccentrics 20 with the tramway bar outwardly beyond the sides of the spring plank, also results in the hangers L3, 24 being drawn downwardly with a spring pressure against said sides.

The hangers 23, 9A and tramway bar 14 may be detached from the spring plank by first forcing the inner ends of the toggle arms 25, 26 downwardly below the center line of 't-he'rivets 37, 4t3 and then withdrawing the pivot pin 36, this leaving the hangers disconnected, the tramway her free to be withdrawn and the hangers tree to be detachedrrom the spring plank.

hen the parts are in their operative position, the arms 27 on the hangers 23, 24 engage the tramway bar at its opposite side edges and prevent any transverse shifting of said bar, and said bar by reason of the downwardly convened curvatures or bends 19 therein and by the presence of the eccentrics 20 are prevented from having longitudinal shifting movement.

The clamping mechanism hereinbei'ore described is effective for securing the tramway bars 14': without the presence of the safety guard bars 44:, but I prefer to com bine said bars 44 with said mechanism, as shown. The hangers 23, 24lattord adequate means for yieldably receiving and supporting the inner ends of the bars at and permitting the detachment of said bars without disturbing the relation of the hangers to the spring plank or to the tramway bar. In addition. the bars l4 are of great benefit in holding the brake-beam captive in the event oi accident to the brakehange-rs, and further in the event of no accident to the brake-hangers but to one or both of the hangers 24 or toggle arms'25, 2601 their pivotal connections, whereby the hangers 23, 24: might become loosened from the spring plank, the bars t'will'become arrested on the compression member 12 of the beam or beams and act to support the disabled clamping mechanism and prevent the same from falling to the track. By connecting the bars 44 with the clamping mechanism for the tramway bar, said. bars 44: always become properly positioned with relation to the tramway bar and are. shiftable with the clamping mechanism along'the spring plank to the most ellective location for the tramway bar.

What-I claim as my invention and desire to securexby Letters'Patent, is:

'l. Ima'car-truck"having a spring plank and2a"trussectbrake beam, a tramway suspension bar extending below the bottom of the spring-plank and inclined upwardly and outwardly therefrom; and clamping means for detachably securing said bar against said plank comprising hangers engaged upon the upper opposite edges of the plank and extending downwardly at the sides thereof, toggle arms hinged at their outer ends to the lower enc s of said hangers and. being at said ends provided with eccentrics disposed below that portion of saidbar which is below the spring plank and means pivotally connecting the inner ends of said arms. the inner ends of said arms being adapted to be forced upwardly above a center line for locking the clamping means in position and causing said eccentrics to bind .id baragainst the spring plank.

2. In a car-truck'having a spring plank and a trussed brake-beam, a tramway suspensionbar extending below the bottom oi the spring plank and inclined upwardly and outwardly therefrom, and. clamping means for detachably securing said bar against said plank comprising hangers eng ged upon the upper opposite edges of the plank and extending downwardly at the sides thereof, toggle arms hinged at their outer ends to the lower ends of said hangers and being at said'ends provided with eccentrics disposed below that portion of said bar which is below the spring plank and means pivotally connecting the inner encs oi said arms, the inner ends ot-said arms be'ng adapted to be forced upwardly above a center line for locking the clamp ing means in position. and causing said eccentrics to bind said bar against the spring plank, and said hangers being in the form of plates having hooks on their upper ends to engage the upper opposite edges of the plank, side arms on their lower ends which receive the outer ends of the toggle arms,

pins extending through said hanger arms and the outer ends of said toggle arms for hinging said toggle arms and openings above said eccentrics through which the tramway suspension bar extends.

3. In a car-truck having a spring plank and a trussed brake-beam a tramway suspension-bar extending below the bottom of the spring plank and inclined upwardly and outwardly therefrom, and clamping means for detachably securing said bar against said plank comprising hangers engaged upon the upper opposite edges of the plank and extending downwardly at the sides thereof. toggle arms hinged at their outer ends to the lower ends of said hang rs and being at said ends provided with ac centrics disposed below that portion of said bar which is below the spring plank and means pivotally connecting the inner ends of said arms, the inner ends or said arms being adapted to be forced upwardly above a center line for locking the clamping means in position and causing said eccentrics to bind'said bar against the springplank,

and said suspension bar being curved downwardly at the outer sides of the said ccentrics.

4. In a car-truck having a spring plank and a trussed brake-beam, a tramway suspension-bar extending below the bottom of the spring plank and inclined upwardly and outwardly therefrom, and clamping means for detachably securing said bar against said plank comprising hangers engaged upon the upper opposite edges of the plank and on tending downwardly at the sides thereof, toggle arms hinged at their outer ends to the lower ends of said hangers and being at said ends provided with eccentrics disposed below that portion of said be which is below the spring plank and a pin entending through overlapping portions of the inn r ends of said arms, said pin being removable, and the inner ends of said arms being adapted to be forced upwardly above a center line for locking the clamping means in position and causing said eccentrics to bind said bar againgst the spring plank I in a car-truck having a spring plank and a trussed brake beam, a tramway suspension-bar extending below the bottom of the spring plank and inclined upwardly and outwardly therefrom, clamping ineans suspended from the upper edges of the spring plank and extending beneath that portion oi said bar which is below the spring plank for binding the bar against said plank and a safety guard bar articulated at its inner end to said clamping means and at its outer end to the outer end of the suspension bar, said guard bar being disposed above the brakebeam and the suspension bar.

6. In a car-truck having a spring plank and a trussed brake beam, a tramway suspension-bar extending below the bottom of the spring plank and inclined upwardly and outwardly therefrom, clamping means sup ported from and shiftable along the spring plank and extending beneath that portion of said bar which is below the spring plank for binding the bar against said plank and a safety guard bar articulated at its inner end to said clamping means and at its outer end to the outer end of the suspension bar, said guard bar being disposed above the brakebeam and the suspension bar.

7. In a car-truck having a spring plank and a trussed brake beam, a tramway suspension-bar extending below the bottom of the spring plank and inclined upwardly and outwardly therefrom, clamping means supported from and shiftable along the sgring plank and extending beneath that portion of said bar which is below the spring plark for binding the bar against said plank and a safety guard bar articulated at its inner end to said clamping means and at its outer end to the outer end of the suspension bar, said guard bar being disposed above the brakebeam and the suspension bar and detachable from said clamping means and said suspension bar without disturbing either the clamp or bar.

8. In a car-truck having a spring plank and trussed brake beam, a tran'nvay suspension-bar ei-itending below the bottom of the spring plank and inclined upwardly and outwardl therefrom, clan'iping means suspended from the upper edges of the spring plank and extending beneath that portion of said bar which is below the spring plank for binding the against said plank and a safety guard bar articulated at its inner end to said clamping means and at its outer end to the outer end of the suspension bar, said guard bar being disposed above the brake beam and the suspen bar, and said clamping means comprising plates having hooks engaged upon the upper opposite edges of the spring plank and toggle levers carried by said plates and having eccentrics below the suspension bar to bind the same against the spring plank.

in a car-truck having inside-hung trussed brakebeams, a spring plank and tramway suspension-bars extending longitudinally of the truck below said plank and inclined at their end portions upwardly and outwardly tl'ierefrom, clamping means for binding the middle portions of the suspension bars against the bottom of said plank comprising hangers hung from the upper portions of the spring plank and extending below the sides of the same, toggle arms hinged at their outer ends to the lower ends of said hangers and being at said ends provided with eccentrics below that portion of the suspension bar which is below said plank and means pivotally connecting the inner ends of said toggle arms, the inner ends of said arms being adapted to be forced up wardly above a center line for causing the eccentrics to bind the suspension bar against the spring plank and ezrert a downward clamping action on said hangers to bind them in position on the spring plank.

10. In a car-truck having inside-hung trussed brakebeams, a spring plank and tramway suspension-bars extending longitudinally of the truck below said plank and inclined at their end portions upwardly and outwardly therefrom, clamping means for binding the middle portions of the suspension bars against the bottom of said plank comprising hangers hung from the upper portions of the spring plank and extending below the sides of the same, toggle arms hinged at their outer ends to the lower ends of said hangers and being at said ends provided with eccentrics below that portion of the suspension bar which is below said plank and means pivotally connecting the inner ends of said toggle arms, the inner ends of said arms being adapted to be forced IOU upwardly above a center line for causing the eccentrics to bind the suspension bar against the "spring plank and exert a downward clamping action on said hangers to bind I them in position on the spring plank, and

said eccentrics being located below the sides of the spring plank and afiording broad curved surfaces on which the tramway members may bear during their yielding movements.

11. In a oar-truck having inside-hung trussed brake-beams, a spring plank and tramway suspension-bars extending longitudinally of the truck below said plank and inclined at their end portions upwardly and outwardly therefrom, clamping means for binding the middle portions of the suspension bars against the bottom of said plank comprising hangers hung from the upper portions of the spring plank and extending below the sides of the same, toggle arms hinged at their outer ends to the lower ends of said hangers and being at said ends provided with eccentrics below that portion of the suspension bar which is below said plank and means pivot-ally connecting the inner ends of said toggle arms, the inner ends of said arms being adapted to be forced upwardly above a center line for causing the eccentrics to bind the suspension bar against the spring plank and exert a downward clamping action on said hangers' to bind them in position on the spring plank, said eccentricsbeing disposed below thesides of the spring plank and projecting V slightly beyond the vertical plane of the same and affording broad curved surfaces on which the tramway membersmay bear and said members bein curvd'downwardly at the oiitersid'es of "said-eccentrics."

12. In a car-truck having inside hnng trussed brake-beams, a spring plank and tramway suspension-bars extending longitudinally of the truck below said plank and inclined at their end portions upwardly and outwardly therefrom, clamping 11163115 for binding the middle portionsof thesuspcnsion bars against the bottom of said plank comprising hangers hung" from the upper portions of the spring plank and extending belowthe sides of the same, toggle arms hinged at their outer ends to the lower ends of said hangers and being at said ends provided with eccentrics below that portion oi" the suspension bar which is below said plank and means pivotally connecting the inner ends of said toggle arms, the inner ends ofsaid arnis'beingadapted to be 'forced upwardly above a center line for camsing the eccentrics to bind the suspension bar against the spring plank hnd exertja downward clamping action on said'hangers to bind them in position on thespring plank, said eccentrics being located belowthe sides of the spring plank and affording broad" curved surfaces onwhich the tramwaymemabove said eccentrics through which the 

